What Ties Us Together
by ManWithAnImagination
Summary: Ever felt like the supports in Fates were a bit rushed? Well, in this collection of advanced supports, (C-plus, B-plus, A-plus and S-plus) read and witness the bonds of the heroes of Fates as they grow stronger and stronger. And with the chance to submit a request for your own pairings, be prepared as you'll be taken on an emotional, heartfelt adventure with your favorite cast!
1. SilasXRinkah C-plus

Note: to start things off, this of course is a pilot chapter and whether I continue doing this or not depends on the viewers.

Silas X Rinkah

C+

 _Gods, it's hot in this uniform,_ Silas thought to himself. He understood how Hoshidan's were use to the bright and warm climates compared to Nohr's dark and moody weather, but gods, he was sweating like a kitsune! He was tempted to remove his helmet and face mask to wipe off the sweat, but decided against it with the risk of blowing his cover. _How do Hoshidans even stand the itch from this wool?_

Thankfully, Silas didn't have to wait too long for him to answer his own question. Suddenly, a powerful force slammed into him from behind; forcing out a surprised "oomf!" as he was thrown to the ground on his chest. He quickly tried to regain his bearings and turn over, but two incredibly strong hands grabbed him by the shoulders and flipped him onto his back. Silas was blinded by the sunlight as his hand felt along his side for his weapon, but the assailant saw this and placed a knee on his triceps; pinning his arm to the ground while the other pressed down uncomfortably into his chest. Now immobile and defenseless, the young Nohrian knight waited helplessly as the attacker ripped off his helmet and face mask. By now, Silas didn't need to wait for his vision to clear up to see who it was holding him to the ground and burst out into laughter.

"A _ha_!" Rinkah exclaimed in triumph. "You didn't think you could actually hide from me again this time, did you?"

Silas raised up his free arm in surrender, but held a toothy grin. "Ok, ok, you got me. And I have to say, I'm impressed."

The young flame Oni warrior smirked. "You've got that right! Who's the best predator? I am!"

"Yup. No doubt about that." Silas' smile wavered as he let out an uncomfortable grunt. "So, uh, about my chest, I kinda need to breathe. And this uniform isn't making it any easier either." Rinkah stood and watched as the Nohrian knight pushed himself up and wiped the sweat from his face. "Phew, glad that's finally over with. So, how'd you finally catch me this time?"

She shrugged. "I talked to the troops to tell me where you'd run off to. Then they all helped me..." her smirk fades completely and was quickly replaced with a defeated look of realization. "...look for you... oh no..." the she gritted her teeth in anguish and shook her head as she placed it in the palm of her hand. "Don't tell me you were trying to get me to talk to people this entire time."

Silas held out both fists as though he was preparing to be handcuffed. "Guilty as charged! And I figured it would work since you'd do anything to win."

Rinkah gripped her club at both ends as though she were about to snap it in half. "I don't believe this...!"

"Hey, come on now," Silas urged. "It wasn't that bad, was it? I mean, you did have fun though, right?"

Her face radiated with heat as her grip grew tighter and her knuckles began to whiten. "Hrrrrrrrrgh..." Silas' face paled and was about to beeline sprint in the opposite direction until Rinkah let out a deep and heavy sigh. "You're right."

"R-really?" the young knight exhaled in relief.

She nodded. "I did have fun. I... I even got to talking to a bunch of people while I was out looking for you. Even the ones I hated turned out turned out to be alright once I got to know them."

Silas grinned from ear to ear. "That's great! See, I knew you were an easy-going person once I got you to break out of your shell."

Rinkah scolded at him. "Yeah, you got me there. But now, it's my turn."

"Is that so?" Silas chuckled. "Well ok then. But I'll have you know, this type of Predator and Prey was child's play compared to Nohr's knight training regiment-."

"Oh, we're not going to play Predator and Prey." she cut him off.

"Come again?"

"An eye for an eye. I've played your game, and now you have to play mine."

"And what is that exactly?" Silas asked confidently.

"It's something my tribe likes to call, 'Dancing in the Fire.'"

Nodding in admiration, Silas asked, "So what are the rules? Do you just tread on, like, some burning coal or something to see who can stand it the longest?"

"Don't be stupid, of course not. We may contribute to the god of fire, but we're still only human. No, back home in an event when two tribesman want to settle a heated dispute with one another, they will each pick two weapons of their choosing and settle it in the ring."

"Whoa, whoa, _whoa._ " Silas took a step back. "You're not saying that you're actually upset enough to fight me to the death for a stunt like that, are you?"

"Oh, it's not a fight to the death." Rinkah smiled flatly. "We just merely make blows deep enough to draw blood, but not to an extent where it's life-threatening. At least, sometimes."

"You _cannot_ be serious."

"Like I said, an eye for an eye. You have thirty minutes to meet me on the training ground outside the castle. If you don't show up, no hard feelings. It will just be another story to share with my Chieftain when I return home."

The Norhian Knight remained rooted to the ground in shock as the Oni warrior slung her club and began making her way towards the gates. And it wasn't until several moments later when he'd snapped out of his trance and called out after her, "wait a minute, that's not an eye for an eye, that's more like an eye for a _limb._ "

 **I-I-I-I-I**

"Well, well, I'm surprised you showed up." Rinkah smugged.

"And I'm surprised you're actually still serious about this." Silas sighed as he stretched out. Thank the gods he'd barely had enough time to change into his own personal armor. "So is this what your tribe does during their free time?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Come on, you know," the knight said as he practice-swung his spear. "like whenever you're not training, keeping a bonfire ablaze, or killing people, what do you do for fun?"

"This _is_ what I do for fun." she answered, using her club as training weight for stretching her arms. "the Flame Tribe is an independent society. We do not give large kingdoms any sort of currency for their protection; nor do we even need it. Because of this, every tribesman is born to be trained as a warrior. We look out for our own, and even though our laws forbids us from interacting with outsiders, we do have a desire for peace, which is why we are closely tied with Hoshido. And with the threat of Nohr being at our doorstep any day, we are like a scorpion surrounded by a swarm of ants. We are powerful as one, but eventually the endless numbers will tear us apart. There is not a single day that can be spared for any of your 'free time'. There's only train, fight and live or die."

That's when it clicked in Silas' head. "I... I never knew that."

Rinkah scoffed. "Of course you didn't," she responded harshly, then paused for a second as though she was having second thoughts and quickly added, "it's not your fault. I know you didn't mean to sound all high above me. A lot of things within my tribe remains a mystery to outsiders because of our laws and practices." She shook her head. "But enough wasting breaths. Raise your weapon."

Silas let out a hopeless sigh and brought his spear into a defensive stance. "Whenever you're ready." Without another word, Rinkah nodded as she twirled her club from one hand to the other, hunched forward into an attacking position, and charged forward.

Rinkah let out a bellowed war cry as she swung her club down in an arc, only for it to be easily parried by Silas' spear with a quick flick of his wrist, giving him the upper-hand for a counterattack. But before he could even bring his spear up to do so, Rinkah'd used her momentum from the swing to bring up her leg into a roundhouse kick; forcing the knight to ditch his counterattack plan and ducked beneath the Oni warrior's powerful leg. She swung again, and this time Silas met with it head-on, using both hands to stop the blow in its tracks, and was surprised by the shock wave that rippled through both limbs as the weapons collided. _She's stronger than I thought._ Much _stronger in fact._

He needed to change tactics. Staying on the defense won't likely tire her out. Much less even tire _him_ out first, and he wasn't sure if his own strength was on par with hers. He needed to find a flaw in her attack strategy. And fast.

Over the next several minutes, with each strike, dodge, parry and blow, both combatants already felt themselves beginning to tire. If either had been battling lesser soldiers, they could've had enough energy to go on through the night and day. But because the two were trying their best not to land a fatal hit and both were at equal strength, it certainly made the fight a whole lot tougher. Silas was now having a harder time staying mobile now that his left leg received a well-placed hit in the quad. But he could see Rinkah beginning to wince as the fight dragged on; now with her dominant arm bruised from the smacking it received from the blunt end of his spear; now making it his primary target.

It wasn't until after a few more moments when the tribeswoman became fed up, suddenly crying out, "Ugh, that's it!" At first, Silas thought she'd meant it as a way of surrendering, but immediately thought better of it knowing that Rinkah was willing to drop dead before she-.

Then an idea pooped into his head. An insane one in fact, that if he screwed it up, it would put him in heap amount of trouble. But he had put too much focus into his scheme that he didn't even notice Rinkah jumping into the air and drop-kicked him square in the chest. If it weren't for his armor, his chest would have probably caved in from the force that sent him flying back a solid ten feet away.

Short of breath and still clutching his spear which he'd used for support, he climbed back onto his feet as fast as his legs would allow. He feebly got back into a defensive stance, on guard for Rinkah's next onslaught. But instead, he was surprised to see her actually moving _away_ from him as she withdrew an item from her carrier sack strapped to her back. Upon seeing the item, the Nohrian night recognized what it was immediately as he raised his spear again.

Runes in the shape of a pentagon glowed on the ground around Rinkah as she opened up the scroll. Red smoke of energy began to form and combine in front of her; growing bigger and bigger until it took the shape and size of an ox. Once the summoning of the spirit had been complete, she let it loose.

Silas had extremely little time to react, but it was enough. Rather than jumping out of the way, he lunged forward at the spirit with his good leg, planting the blunt end of the spear to the ground and vaulted into the air. He was barely able to bring his weapon up with him as the ox's spirit passed underneath him and dissipated into nothing. Somehow, Silas had managed to land back on the ground with his good leg and quickly tried to get back into the ready position, but Rinkah, letting out another battle cry, was already charging forward with her club raised and swung.

This was exactly what Silas had been waiting for. He waited until the very last possible second before he raised his spear for another full head-on collision. But this time, instead of the stopping the club like last time, it broke completely through; leaving the knight with one-half of a spear in each hand. Breathing heavily, Rinkah smiled tiredly as she began to think that victory was near. But what Silas did next left her dumbfounded and caught completely off guard.

"Aha!" He exclaimed, gripping both ends of the spear in a comfortable position and took the battle to her. Now at a disadvantage of having to battle against two separate weapons, the tribeswoman tried desperately to keep up with her heavy club as Silas made quick, fast strikes. "Hey... Rinkah...," he called with whatever breath he could muster, "you know... another game that... my friends... and I played... to become knights?"

Rinkah snarled, "I'm sure I'd _love_ to hear about it."

 _This is it_. "It's called..." he began as he smacked the sore spot on his opponent's arm, forcing her to back off just long enough for him to finish. "drop _dead!_ " With that last word, Silas wound back his arm holding the spear-head, and tossed it high into the air. Rinkah completely took her attention of Silas as she watched the spear-head go straight up; giving him enough time to toss aside the blunt end and draw his sword.

Now completely disoriented, the Oni warrior could do nothing but back away and try her best to block each of his strikes. By the time the spear finally began to descend, Rinkah had lost her footing and began to fall back. Adrenaline like nothing the Nohrian knight had ever experienced before shot into his veins as he made a desperate lunge forward; tackling Rinkah and briefly picking her up before tumbling to the ground just as the spear head plunged into the spot on the ground where she would've fallen.

Both were gasping with shock and pouring with sweat as Silas turned his head to see where the spear had landed. However, Rinkah, who was still pinned underneath him when he'd tackled her, let out an outraged bellow as she kicked his legs out from beneath him, giving her the leverage she needed to throw him off onto his back, pinning him down for the second time that day, withdrew a dagger from her thigh strap and placed it at his throat. "You rotten Norhian filth!" She growled. "You almost had me killed!"

"Hey, hey, now hold on _one_ second," Silas countered, "that's a little unfair accusation for someone who was about to have me run over by an ox and almost bash my head in!"

"Tha- that's..." she tried desperately to get out.

"Rinkah..." the young man spoke calmly and smoothly. "It's alright," he assured her, "I would never let anything happen to you."

Still breathing heavily in exhaustion, the two locked eyes for a brief moment before Rinkah slowly removed the dagger from his throat. "That was..." she muttered, "that was fun."

Silas gave her a weak smile and sat up. "Yeah, it sure was. I learned a hell of a lot from that match."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Such as?"

"Such as making sure not to get on your bad side. Although..." He lumbered onto his feet and held out his hand. "Having the honor to train with you is what made me truly feel alive."

From the ground, the tribeswoman simply gazed as his hand, but in all rare events, she swallowed her pride, reached out and took it. When he pulled her up, Rinkah exhaled sharply in pain as she placed a hand over her right triceps, and lifting it back up to see it covered in blood. "Ugh, damn it all."

"Heh, must've happened when we went tumbling." Silas inferred, "Looks like we'll have to get it looked at. We'll go see Sakura and-."

"No," she interrupted, stopped, and spoke awkwardly. "I mean, it's not that serious. Besides, I have bandages in my bag. So there no need..."

He nodded in understanding, "you don't have to explain. I know you're not in the best mood to be hanging around people right now, and I'm not going to pester you over it anymore today." Silas was about to turn and head back towards the castle until Rinkah grabbed his forearm with her good hand.

"Wait," she stopped him, and took a breath, "I- I want you to stick around. There's... there's some things that I wanted to ask you."

The Knight's eyes lit up. "If that's what you request, then by all means."

 **I-I-I-I-I**

"So this game, Predator and Prey," Rinkah began, "you mentioned it was actually child's play compared to what it was like in training."

"Spot on," Silas confirmed, as he began wrapping the bandage over the wound.

"So what was it _actually_ like?" She inquired.

"Try to keep still," he told her. "Well, to start off, it's a popular game for children of Nohr. You have one person who is the predator while everyone else who is the prey run around while the predator tries to catch them. But, you know, excluding the part where you try to tackle them and try to rip their head off."

For the first time, Silas witnessed Rinkah give a proud and joyful laugh. "I- I'm sorry about that. I was, how would you put it, 'caught in the spur of the moment'?"

He chuckled. "Spot on again. And as it goes for training purposes, it's actually quite long and grueling."

"Sounds like my type of game."

Silas shrugged. "I can see that. Anyhow, instead of having one predator and multiple prey, you have to spend three days in the middle of nowhere with only one ration of food while trying to avoid a search party. And if you happen to get caught, they'll beat the everliving pulp out of you, tie your leg to a horse and drag you all the way back to camp."

She scoffs. "So were you either of the two? Did you ever get caught?"

"Oh yeah, twice. I'd been caught, beaten, dragged, and beaten some more. Everybody had to play both roles in the game. It was meant to teach us to let go of what little luxury you could possibly have and accept the fact you have to do almost whatever it takes to survive. Back then, I thought it was one of the worst times of my life. But now, looking back at it, I kinda miss it."

"What about family? Parents maybe? Do you miss _them_?"

Shrugging, he replied, "I was an only child. My parents and I were never close. Honestly, it seems unfair that unlike a lot of children who grew up without them, and yet when mine were at my side, we just never really... clicked."

Rinkah nodded. "I could say the same for my father."

Silas raised a brow. "What about him?"

Rinkah shook her head. "It's complicated. Besides, it shouldn't even concern you."

"Ah, no you don't." Silas scolded. "I get you're supposed to be preserved and whatnot, but you're definitely not going to bring something up and just back out of it like nothing was ever said." He sighed. "Look, I can see how curious and full of wonder you are with the outside world. You try so hard to abide by your laws, but yet your curiosity is now starting to overtake your sense of morale. And sometimes you can't help it. But now with the war going on, it would mean an awful lot for me to know exactly what it is that makes you what you turn out to be in life. And it all starts with with breaking out of that eggshell."

Rinkah's expression remained neutral and said nothing for a lengthy moment. And Silas was just about to give up before she let out a deep, heavy sigh and spoke dejectedly, "My father, our very own Chieftain, broke one of the tribe's most sacred rules." Silas had just finished placing the bandage when she took his wrist into her hand. Her gaze locks into his with deadpanned eyes and resumed in a stern voice, "My mother was not of our tribe. My father saved her when she was on the brink of death: cold, hurt, and alone. He brought her back with him, and as she healed and grew strong again, the feeling that my father had felt when he first met her grew and grew until it finally became clear and obvious to everyone that he'd fallen for an outsider."

It all started to make sense now. "Wait, hold on," Silas questioned, "if he'd broken a divine law, and much less have a child, how is he still the Chieftain of your tribe?"

"That's where things start getting complicated." Rinkah sighed, and stood. "Listen, thank you... for everything."

"What, that's it?" Silas followed, "after all of that, you're just going to leave all of it hanging off a cliff just like that?"

"I'm truly sorry, Silas," Rinkah shook her head. "you were the first person other than my mother that I've opened up to. I want to tell you more but... just not today."

"Then when _is_ it going to be...?" He urged, "Rinkah, you _know_ I would do anything within my own limits and beyond to make sure my friends don't have to suffer. You can't keep isolating yourself like this! What would happen when-."

"Silas," She stopped him, placing a firm hand on his chest, "there will be a time. I promise. Everything you've taught me today was not in vain. It pains me to even say it, but I just don't... _know_ you yet to tell you everything."

His heart sank. "Rinkah..."

"Thank you, Silas. Truly. For everything." Without another word, she scurried off, leaving a confused, yet determined Silas behind as the sun began to dip under the horizon.


	2. RyomaXKagero C-plus

Ryoma X Kagero

C+

Rising up over the horizon, pheasants awaken from thier high nests; greeting the dawning sun as it shunned its golden light over the forest of the astral planes. Ryoma, the crown prince of Hoshido who strolled through the forest alone, gazing up through the gaps in the trees to also admire the start of another bright and promising day. He held both a joyful and yet heavy-weighted feeling in his stomach as memories of his mother and him- and later his younger siblings- climbing the tallest hills of thier homeland so that they can watch the sun rise over the vast open lands. He remembered as a young teenager how he would give Sakura piggy-back rides whenever she'd gotten tired from the walks; how he and Hinoka would duel with imaginary enemies and how he would scold Takumi for constantly trying to shoot birds out of the trees with his new Yumi that Father had given him before he...

Shaking his head, Ryoma pushed those memories aside. It was painful, not joyous, for him to think about such things. Especially since after Corrins kidnapping, when the crown prince had from then on dedicated all of his time training and preparing for that inevitable day when he and everyone who followed him would confront the forces of Nohr on the battlefield. Preparing to do whatever it took to overthrow King Garon, taking vengeance for his father's death and reclaiming Corrin as his birthright sibling. He'd achieved that vow of taking back what was wrongfully stolen from him, but with King Garon still on the throne with the intentions of wiping those who oppose him off the face of world, Ryoma will not take any unnecessary rests until the day he confronted the king of evil himself; regardless whatever fate awaited him.

Ryomo stopped suddenly. His legendary blade, _Raijinto,_ gave off a faint vibration from within its _saya_ strapped at his side. Placing his left hand just below the hilt of the blade, he used his thumb to push the weapon half an inch out its sheath to see _Raijinto_ sparking with its green energy. Ryomo immediately understood what it meant. Something out of ordinary was present in the woods, though there was no sign of immanent danger. The legendary sword was giving off a warning.

The master swordsman took the opportunity to inspect his surrounding. Other than the vast amount of oak and pine trees that sprouted in all directions, the pheasants that pounced and fluttered from one branch to another, and that one squirrel who'd spent the last several minutes trying to crack open a pecan nutshell on one of the shorter trees, there did not seem to be anything unusual within his immediate area. Pressing his weapon fully back into its sheath, Ryomo continued to move forward a couple of steps before becoming rigid as realization hit him.

He turned back towards the squirrel who was still trying to pry open the nut and looked harder at what it was trying to open.

There was no mistake now. Pecans trees didn't grow anywhere near this area for miles. And Ryomo was highly doubtful that squirrel would carry a nut that hard to crack all the way out here and dedicate so much time trying to eat it. But there was something else...

The samurai only had an extremely brief moment to inspect the branch the rodent sat upon before he drew his _Raijinto,_ spun on his heels into a 180 and effortlessly deflected two ninja shurikens in one clean swipe. He sees a shadowy figure dashing from atop a tree twenty yards away and onto another; too fast for the untrained eye to notice. But Ryomo had one of the most keen senses in the entire Hoshidan army. And was not only able to see the figure move, but also identify who it was that threw the shuriken.

Ryomo struck out with his _Raijinto,_ sending out a bolt of green lightning at the branch his attacker stood on. The power he unleashed wasn't anywhere near enough to kill, much less even enough to scorch any hairs. But it was still capable of overloading the electrical impulses that coarse through one's body; leaving those who were to be hit paralyzed and spasm from the electricity that flowed through their body. Of course, it was nothing that caused permanent harm, but an extremely uncomfortable experience.

But his attacker was quick. Although no human is faster the strike of lightning, the assailant anticipated this and leaped to the next tree before the samurai could retaliate. He released several more bolts, and each and every time the ninja weaved and dodged in between branches to avoid getting hit. While dodging another blast, the ninja sent out two more shuriken, causing Ryoma to halt his attack and swipe away the projectiles with his sword.

Ryoma scowled. _I am no ninja,_ he thought to himself, _but I'm certain they were taught the basic rules that it is a fool's idea to try the same form of attack twice if it were to be ineffective the first time._ His eyes narrowed. _Wait, what just...?_ He had completely lost sight of the attacker in the trees. Ryoma gazed into the area where his attacker threw the shuriken. _But_ _I never took my eyes off of him. Even when I defelected..._

That's when Ryoma had realized what happened. Letting out an impressed chuckle, he called out, "That was very clever, Kagero, using my own weapon to shield my sight of you." He turned around. "You threw out those two shuriken in perfect alignment so that no matter what way I blocked your attack, you'd have enough time to go back into hiding without me being able to see it. However..." He raised his _Raijinto_ to the top of the second tree in front of him as though he were using it as a pointer, "no matter where you hide, anyone within the range of _Raijinto_ can sense your exact presence, no matter how much you try to hide it." He let loose another bolt of lightning at the spot where his retainer was hiding. The brush shook as the bolt exploded upon hitting something solid, and a humanoid figure fell over into view as Kagero dipped over the branch she stood on and went into a free fall.

Almost as though he were lightning itself, Ryoma sheathed his weapon and swooped in beneath the unconscious ninja and caught her with ease. However, immediately upon catching his retainer into his arms, the master samurai began to feel uneasy. _There's no way she should've taken the hit like that,_ he though. _It was meant to chase her out of her hiding place and corner her, but this..._

Without warning, Kagero exploded in a puff of smoke and Ryoma's arms suddenly felt empty. Coughing and eyes stinging, Ryoma waved off the smoke until everything was clear again. _Did Kagero just...?_ The crown prince of Hoshido looked down to see a card about the size of his hand lying face-down on the ground, picking it up and almost immediately recognizing it. Judging from the unique drawing of the Dawn Dragon emblem on the backside, Ryoma inferred that this was one of Orochi's divination cards.

He flipped the card over. It was a hand-painted image of Kagero herself. The majority of her black hair tied back similar to that as Ryoma's, but with a portion of it also hanging over the right side of her face just how she normally likes it with the yellow scarf wrapped snugly around her neck. But what the painting also showed was its unsettling portrayal of Kagero's appearance. Going by the intimidation and homicidal look in Kagero's eyes along with the red-orange background, there was doubt in the prince's mind that this card had been painted by Kagero herself.

Ryoma suddenly realized that he had been distracted for too long as his _Raijinto_ suddenly buzzed again from within its _saya._ He immediately went to draw his weapon, but it was already far too late. Before he could even place his hand on the hilt of his sword, he felt the cold blade of a kitana placed at his throat as a calm soothing voice spoke softly into his ear. "Now what good is it to be able to sense anyone's presence when it can be so easily manipulated?"

Ryoma exhaled through his nose and dropped the card. "Hmph. So, you were somehow able to hide yourself away from my _Raijinto_ while your... self, held my distraction. I am most impressed."

Kagero held back a giggle. "That little divination was a gift from Orochi. With the proper command, I can give it temporary life. I could either have it keeping the enemy busy or ware them down and then swoop in to finish the job."

 _Except that the longer I use it,_ Kagero thought, _it still uses up my strength since it needs energy to feed off of._

"That's quite the devious scheme you have," Ryomo praised, "However, to be able to give life through divination, which is highly illegal I might add, the results of such practice always leads to similar outcomes as the Faceless."

"And you are right on both points," Kagero confirmed, "Which is why for a temporary amount of time, I can transfer my very own conscious into that card without having to worry about suffering injuries that it could receive. It was most definitely difficult to master, since I've had little to no experience of divination before the war had started. But Orochi was an excellent teacher and possessed a great amount of patience."

The samurai laughed, "You've come a long way, Kagero. You remember what I've told you when you asked to train with me, correct?"

"Wh-what do you mean by that, Lord Ryomo?" Kagero asked skeptically.

"That I might be easily defeated and that you replied you would come at me with everything you've got. But from I saw, that is not the case."

"I..." the beautiful ninja wanted to reply, but then shook her head. "I hardly see why that matters or what it even means. I have you right where I want you, so this sparring is over."

"Then finish it." Ryoma said flatly.

"Excuse me, my lord?!" Kagero gasped.

Ryoma smirked. "Go ahead. Try to slit my throat."

"Wh- why on heaven or earth would I do that?!"

"Trust me, Kagero, just do it."

Her eyes fell to her arm which held the kitana to his throat. "I... I can't move my arm... how is that...?"

Chuckling, Ryoma grabbed his retainer by the wrist and lowered the weapon from his neck. "While you and I were having that little talk, my _Raijinto_ was sending electricity into my body which then traveled into the blade you'd had placed at my throat. Which in turn traveled to your arm and sabotaged your nerve network so that it cannot receive the proper commands from your brain." Kneeling down, he picked up the card and turned back to Kagero who stood in place as she desperately tried to get her body to move. "And for good measure, I've also stopped contact from your brain to the rest of your body. But in a few minutes, it will wear off."

What Kagero said next caught Ryoma slightly off guard. "Heh, honestly Lord Ryoma, do you think that highly of yourself? Did you really think I am the slightest bit like Saizo and run into battle and ignore the risk of being unprepared?" The ninja shifted her tongue as though she were hiding something underneath it. Kagero bit down and Ryoma heard a small crunch like she was biting into a piece of hard candy and swallowed.

For one tense moment, time stood still as Kagero remained in her paralyzed state until suddenly, her pupils contract to one-third its original size. She lunged forward at Ryoma as though the electrical currents within her body ceased to exist, and he had barely enough time to draw _Raijinto to_ meet with her kitana head-on. Whatever it was that Kagero had consumed, it must have contained a powerful ingredient to be able to force her out of that paralysis. But right now, that was the least of Ryoma's concern.

Kagero placed her trembling free hand to her chest and inhaled deeply as though she'd been holding her both for as long as she could. "Phew, I guess I underestimated the effect of Midori's homemade remedy."

 _Homemade remedy?_ Ryoma frowned. So Kaze's daughter had been quite busy recently. And Kagero's skill with the kitana was unquestionable. But why were her hands trembling like that? It was not easy for the prince to be caught by surprise during the heat of battle, but for it happen twice...

The ninja struck at him again with such speed that the prince had barely enough time to deflect it. _She's faster than before._ Whatever that remedy was, it was most likely responsible for the sudden burst of energy that Kagero now possessed. However...

It was now Ryoma's time to go on the offensive. He made deliberate and predictable attacks, watching his retainer as she jerked before meeting her own blade with his.

 _As I suspected,_ he confirmed. So that was how she was able to break from her paralysis. That pill or whatever it was she took simply just shot a plentiful amount of adrenaline into her body. Now she can move faster and hit harder than what her body is mentally capable of performing, but it also meant that she was less aware of her surroundings and more vulnerable to anything outside of her line of sight. Trying to take Kagero head-on would be downright difficult if not dangerous and Ryoma wouldn't dare try to hit her with another burst of electricity since the currents from the last one still flowed throughout her body. So that only left him with one option.

Slowly but surely, the samurai backed away as Kagero came at him again and again, trading off strikes and parries as the two combatants edged closer and closer to the same tree Ryoma had seen the squirrel with the pecan nut sat upon. He waited until the ninja winded back for a heavy attack and dodged out of the way at the last possible second; throwing his retainer off balance as she stumbled forward.

It all happened in an instant when Kagero tripped the snare as the branch snapped up; snagging her ankle and yanking her head-over-heels. Now disoriented and hanging upside down several feet above the ground, she dropped her kitana.

Ryoma tried his best to keep from bursting into laughter. "You really had me on the ropes, Kagero. I couldn't have asked for a better retainer that's as full of surprises as you are. But honestly, of all the places you could have picked to ambush me, it had to be on one of Mozu's hunting grounds?"

Cheeks red, Kagero cringed as she crossed her arms and looked away. "I appreciate your false flattery, my lord, but I'm more concerned about the blood that's rushing to my head."

"Mhm," Ryoma responded with a half smile as he raised his _Raijinto_ and cut the line tying her foot to the branch with ease. Just before Kagero was about descend, she swung her free leg forward for momentum into a half back flip and landed gracefully on both feet. "As always, your skills in both stealth and close-combat exceed my expectations, Kagero. And as my retainer, you of all others know full well of how little I jape about my own comrades."

Still blushing, Kagero retrieved her kitana. "Yes, Lord Ryoma, I understand. It's just..."

"Come now," Ryoma said reassuringly, "You've done extraordinarily well. And that new trick of yours will become extremely handy in the war now that-."

"That wasn't what I was trying to get at, my lord," she said shamefully. "The fact that I allowed myself to become so easily outmaneuvered and caught in such an obvious trap leaves me concerned about what would have happened if this occurred in the battlefield."

The Hoshidan prince stared into his retainer's defeated eyes with his lackluster gaze before it melted into a nonchalant smile. "Which is why you've requested to train with me is, is it not?"

"Pardon me, my lord?"

"That remedy you spoke of that helped you out of your paralysis? That was a surprise that I certainly would've never expected. However, what good did it do you if you've never tested it and expect what kind of effects it will have on you?"

Kagero shrugged. "I had thought that I would obtain more accurate results if I'd tested it out in the field. Considering that I was going to be training with you, I wanted to be prepared for almost any situation. I asked Kaze's daughter, Midori, to formulate a special serum to provide temporary adrenaline, while also having Saizo's son, Asugi, create a thin edible shell to contain the potion."

"Well then," said Ryoma, "I'd ask Midori to put a little less of whatever it was that gave you that adrenaline. To be truthful, you were quite intimidating up close with that sudden burst of energy. However, if someone were to figure out what was happening just as I have, the tables can turn back on you in an instant." Sheathing his _Raijinto,_ Ryoma turns back to the direction from where he came. "We should be heading back to the castle. We have to attend the war council meeting before leaving the astral planes." He turns back to the ninja and held out a hand which held the card of Kagero's self-portrait. "Care to join me?"

Without hesitation, she took the card graciously, "Of course. Never could I deny my lord's requests."

Ryoma chuckled. "You've always held yourself up to that statement, Kagero. Even if those requests were somewhat... abnormal."

"That's because you've never had an abnormal request to begin with, Lord Ryoma." Kagero's face flushed. "You said it yourself."

 **I-I-I-I-I**

"Lord Ryoma," Kagero spoke up, "there's a matter that I've been meaning to address with you, if you'll have me."

"You know I'm all ears for anything that's on your mind, Kagero." said Prince Ryoma. "It's always important for retainers and their masters to have a clear mind of one another. With a clear mind comes trust, and with trust the chances of both persons making it through the battle increases."

Kagero was about to speak before she felt a sudden tingle on her leg; causing her to stop and look down to see the squirrel with the pecan nut in tow climbing up her leg and onto her shoulder. "Ah, so you're the one that gave me away, aren't you?" She reached up and took the pecan shell from the rodent. With a quick flex of her hand, she easily crushed the shell and opened her hand to reveal the pecan nut still in one piece. Taking the nut and throwing the away the remains of the shell, she offered it to the squirrel who accepted it in a heartbeat; hopping from her shoulder and onto a nearby tree and disappeared within the brush.

"So what's been troubling you recently, Kagero?" Ryoma asked as the ninja watched the squirrel scurry off.

"Hmm?" She responded distantly, then remembered what it was she wanted to bring up. "Oh, my apologies, Lord Ryoma. I just... well, ever since we've received that urgent letter of the Royal Guard almost being overrun by both the Norhian and Mokushu armies, I've been feeling a bit more anxious than usual. Though I understand that time basically stops outside of the astral planes, it feels like a burning hot metal slowly sinking in my stomach spending each day here training and preparing instead of moving closer and closer to ending this wretched war." She took a breath. "However..."

Ryoma raised a brow. "However?"

Kagero felt her cheeks burning. "I am also especially worried for how the others are taking in the news. Well, actually, more specifically..."

"Kagero..." the prince began, "are you saying that you are concerned for my well-being and position as the crown prince of Hoshido?"

His retainer cringed and shook her head. "My sincerest apologies, my lord, with everything that has happened and what is to come, I can only dread as I try to imagine how you could possibly feel with the weight of the world placed on your shoulders like this. I can never understand the type of stress of such responsibilities; wondering what is to become of your kingdom and its people-."

"That's enough, Kagero." Ryoma said sternly, and to her surprise, smiled. "It's true. The weight is certianly back-breaking. But you forgot that I'm not the only one carrying the load." Ryoma turned and started heading west of the direction they were going. "Come with me. There's something I'd like to show you."

With no reply, Kagero followed Ryoma's lead. Neither spoke for the next fifteen minutes as they crossed through the forest until an oak tree the size of Hoshido's plaza statue came into view. As the pair came closer to the colossal plant, Kagero began noticing etching in its bark that had been done with a very fine blade, along with a single rusted arrow plunged into the wood above it. Once close enough, she read:

 _In our darkest moments, we seek the light._

 _When there is no light, we shed our own._

 _When all seems lost, our hope wanes._

 _But when all hope is gone, the light follows suit._

 _A seed can dry, but it can be revived._

 _Because all it needs is a little bit of light._

Beneath the etchings were five signatures carved into the wood by a more crude blade. And those signatures had their own unique vibe as each of them were the names of the five royal siblings.

"Soon after you had found me in Cheve," Ryoma told her, "The five of us went exploring into the woods for the first time in a long time, as a family again. This was also right about the time when Takumi finally started warming up to Corrin too, which was a quite the blessing." He let out a short, fruitful laugh. "Corrin had been asking for his own little brother to teach him how to shoot an arrow; not that he was even any good at it to save his own life, but he had heart and didn't know when to quit. How Takumi even had the patience for such a hopeless cause, heh, that's beyond me.

"By then, Corrin had either lost or broken all but one arrow. This tree was the biggest one we could find around here for him to use. It might sound absurd, maybe even childish, but when Corrin finally hit his target, all of us, including Takumi and I, were flabbergasted. To this day, I don't even understand why my youngest kid brother, as impatient as he is, would go through all of that trouble just to see that one arrow fly. But my best guess is that even for someone as cynical as he was, like the rest of us, we were so desperate to have our family whole again and to catch up on all the time that had been stolen from us. And I would give almost anything to see our Mother witness a reunion like that."

Willing a single from his eye before it could break free, he looked at Kagero. "Knowing how devoted and giving you are, Kagero, that is enough to lift much of the weight off of my shoulders. It even reminds me how Mother felt towards not only each of her children, but to those who lived under her care and protection. Even if that took a little time to show in the beginning."

Kagero nodded in confirmation. "Yes, I remember those turn of events. Even so, it didn't take long for the two of you to become so close as mother and son. And that was all the convincing needed for them to trust her with all their hearts. Including my own."

"Kagero..." Ryoma's cheeks turned peek. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for everything that you've dedicated your life to, and for always believing in us and keeping us in the light after Father's murder. After Corrin's kidnapping, all that mattered to me was swearing revenge and wiping Nohr off the face of the planet. It was at that moment when I truly hated Mother for choosing to not go to war. I was blinded by rage and hatred and said those repulsive things that's now branded into my heart that I wish would go away, but won't." His voice almost cracked as tears now flooded his eyes and didn't bother wiping them away and allowed them to fall. "You helped me understand what was really important and that revenge is nothing but an empty gift of sorrow and suffering. I... I guess that is part of the reason why I wouldn't take no for an answer when I offered you to make any request that you'd like. But even so, I owe you so much more than that."

"You owe me nothing, Lord Ryoma." the ninja shook her head, hiding her scarlet cheeks. "I came to Lady Mikoto willingly. Since I was a little girl, I had already sworn to protect her and those she cares about with my life simply because she was a beacon of hope who would've done the same for me if our roles had been reversed. And I believe with all my heart and soul that as long as the five of you remain with the living, your debt will always be repaid to me as you continue to give the people hope and a light to follow."

The crown prince of Hoshido was silent for a moment as he continued to stare at the etchings in the tree, then, with a smile, said, "Mother Mikoto was very lucky to have you by her side, Kagero. And quite frankly, so am I."

 **Project Requested By: Gallian Squad 7**


	3. Corrin(M)XHana C-plus

Corrin(M) X Hana

C+

" _Ke'ri, they're catching up to us!"_

" _Just keep running, Lon'qu!" Ke'ri replied as the two ran side-by-side along the bay._

 _But Lon'qu was right. The bandits who'd been tailing them not far behind were more physically fit than the two kids in their early teens. If they were to catch up to them, Ke'ri was doubtful that either of them could take them all on at once. Not only that, while the bandits were armed to the teeth, the only weapons the pair carried with them for defense was her dagger which she'd clenched tightly in her hand as they sprinted across the sand._

 _As the they raced around the corner and past a boulder the size of a hut, about a hundred yards ahead of them was a massive boat hangar big enough to construct four Red Seal ships consecutively which had been decommissioned for the evening. And once it had come into view, and idea popped into Ke'ri's mind. "Come on!" she exclaimed as she took her wheezing best friend's hand. "We'll lose them in that hangar!"_

 _Lon'qu was barely able to keep up as Ke'ri picked up the pace; nearly dragging the boy with her as she did so. By the time they reached it, the group of bandits had already came into view around the boulder just as the pair disappeared through the mouth of the hangar._

" _There they go!" Shouted the leader of the ruffians. "You three, circle around back and try to cover any exits they try to escape through. You two, keep chasing after those brats! We can't have anyone spilling our hideout's location to the authorities!"_

" _Hurry! We need to hide and double-back so we can get help!"_

" _Ke'ri, slow down!" the boy from the slums gasped as they trotted over the wooden catwalk. His bare feet felt like they were on fire after sprinting through the sand, and his legs seemed as though they were being weighed down from all of the running they'd endured. And even if they were able to somehow slip past the bandits, how far were they going to be able to get before they were spotted agai-._

" _AGH!" Lon'qu cried out as an old withered board caved in from beneath his foot; not all the way to where he could feel the saltwater several inches beneath him, but enough to throw him off balance. His ankle twisted as he fell forward, causing him to holler out in pain as he landed face-down onto the boardwalk and clutched his leg. "Ow-ow-ow!"_

 _The light-haired brunette stopped in her tracks and gasped as her closest friend grimaced in pain and tried to stand- only to fall back down as he attempted to use his now sprained ankle to push himself back up. "Lon'qu!"_

 _Lon'qu seethed, "I'm fine! I'm fine!"_

 _But he was far from fine and Ke'ri knew it. Rushing to his side, she knelt down, threw one arm over her shoulder and lifted him back up onto his good leg. "Hang in there, just a little further!" They had managed to limp several feet forward before an arrow zipped past a couple of inches from her head and imbedded itself into the boardwalk._

" _Grr, I almost had you!" A gruff voiced yelled behind them. The pair turned around to see two of ruffians that had been chasing after them standing at the mouth of the hangar fifty yards away, one with his sward drawn and the other with a bow in his hand as he pulled and knocked another arrow._

 _Lon'qu's heart sank._ This is it, _he thought hopelessly._ They've caught us. And it's all my fault. Ke'ri I'm so sorry...

 _The archer let loose the arrow and Ker'ri ducked; pulling her filthy-haired friend down with her as the projectile zoomed over them. "Lon'qu, listen to me," she spoke soft and calmly, "I want you to run. Get out of here when you have the chance."_

 _His stomach tightened in desperation. "What are talking about?! You can't take them on by yourself and I can't even move anywhere!"_

 _The boy's one and only friend sighed heavily in acceptance. "I'm sorry, Lon'qu, but if there's any chance that even one of us can make it out of here, I'd rather it be you."_

 _Shaking his head stubbornly, Lon'qu told her, "No. I got us into this, so I should be the one to allow you to escape. Ke'ri, please,_ don't do this! _"_

 _The ruffian archer snarled, "This one oughta shut you up." He began to draw his third arrow until his partner stopped him._

" _You've had your chance, Clay. It's my turn to have a go at 'em."_

 _The fiend named Clay shrugged. "Sure, whatever you say. But be careful. I've heard that even kids from Chon'sin are already trained to kill with a flick of their wrist."_

 _Clay's partner laughed as he advanced towards them. "C'mon, you actually believe that? Besides, their unarmed. Oh well, so much for expecting an actual fight. I was kinda lookin' forward to it."_

 _Lon'qu's wide-eyed gaze fell onto Ke'ri as she let out another sigh. The young girl's face seemed passive as though she wasn't aware of what was going on. "K-Ke'ri...?"_

 _To his and the bandit's confusion, the brunette's lips crept into a thoughtful smile as she lifted her friend's arm from her shoulder and took his hand into hers. "Lon'qu, every moment that I've spent with you- every night that I've snuck out of home to see you and bring you you're favorite treats, I will treasure those memories for as long as time itself moves forward. While we've both lived opposite lives, you still have so much to experience and live for. And I will not allow these rotten scums to take that opportunity away from you."_

 _Lon'qu refused to believe what she was saying. "No, no! That isn't true!_ You're _the one who deserves to live! You're the one who has so much more to give this world more than what I ever could! Please, Ke'ri...!"_

 _Ke'ri never lost her smile as she leaned forward and kissed his forhead and cupped a hand over his cheek. "I love you, Lon'qu. And I want you to do whatever it takes for you to make your life matter." The boy's mind was in a scramble and couldn't think of the words to say and the actions to perform as his only true friend stood to confront the ruffian, who snickered._

" _Ya know, I personally have a thing against killing women, but if the boss says I gotta take you out, then... well, he'd kill_ me _if I didn't. So I'd start praying right now."_

 _Taking several steps forward,Ke'ri withdrew the dagger from her sleeves for the hoodlum to see and spoke loud and confidently, "I do not need to pray to anyone except for whatever God you will soon meet. My body and soul is prepared for judgment. And I ask you this: is yours prepared as well?"_

 _She didn't even wait for the bandit to answer. With a clean and flawless swipe of her arm, she cut the rope to her right which held a cargo net containing a large load of barrels hanging thirty feet above them. Noticing the load fall, Lon'qu and the bandit reacted by instinct by covering their heads as it came crashing down onto the boardwalk behind Ke'ri. Fresh water exploded from the barrels as the boardwalk caved in from the immense weight. And while the ruffian had been distracted from the sudden commotion and leaving himself completely defenseless, Ke'ri made her move._

 _From the other side of the giant pile of barrels, Lon'qu quickly got a hold of his senses and pushed himself back onto his good foot. "Ke'ri!" he called out. The mountain of trashed wood was too large to climb over, even with his good leg. However, he was able to find a small hole in the wreckage to peak through to see what was going on._

 _Faster than the human body could react, the girl shot forward and was behind the swordsman before he even realized what was happening. With her free hand, she reached over his shoulder and pressed her palm into his nose, causing the man to involuntarily tilt his head back and slit his throat. Gurgling uncontrollably, the bandit dropped his sword as he pressed his hands to throat, desperately attempting to keep the blood from spilling out, but no avail. Several moments went by as both Ke'ri and the bandit's partner, Clay, watched as the man bled to death before he finally stopped moving entirly._

" _It's pointless to tell a dead man, 'I told you so,' "Clay shook his head._

 _As fast as she was able to move before, Ke'ri took the dagger by the blade and sent it flying. But the ruffian anticipated this and was easily able to deflect it away from him as the dagger splashed into the murky water. Now without a weapon, she went for the sword that the dead outlaw had dropped. However, right before she was able to get a grip on the hilt, Clay had pulled back his arrow that he had on the ready and fired; sending the projectile straight and true as it pierced through both of her forearms._

 _Crying out in agony, Ke'ri fell flat on her backside, both arms limp as blood began to spill from where the arrow had penetrated._

" _NO!" Lon'qu screamed. "LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU DASTARD!"_

" _Lon'qu," his best friend said through gritted teeth, "you need to leave."_

 _The ruffian chuckled. "Heh, though I hate to admit it, you've done me a favor." He drew and knocked another arrow. "Sooner or later I was going to kill that fool myself. He'd always been getting on my nerves, but since you'd saved me the hassle, I'll make both of your deaths quick."_

 _And with that, he pulled the back. Ke'ri made no attempt to move as her gaze beamed into the eyes of the bandit's, awaiting her faith as he released the string and the arrow flew towards her heart._

" _KE'RIIIIII!"_

 **I-I-I-I-I**

Hana sucked in a sharp breath as she awoke; instinctively placing a hand onto her chest and over her heart. _That dream again..._ She took another breath. It didn't matter how many times she'd experienced it. Hana was never one to believe in bad omens, and she'd tell herself over and over again that it was just an unprecedented nightmare, yet the fact that it felt so real every single time...

Sitting up in her bed mat, she stretched out her arms before looking out the window of her quarters. Though the night was still dark, just beyond the horizon the sky was beginning to change from that of black to a dark gray; giving Hana the ability to infer that it was the hour of the rabbit. _It's time to go to work._

It took no time at all for the young samurai to change out from her night clothes and into her training gear. Once fully dressed, her gaze fell to the only other piece of furniture inside of her one-room cottage. She knelt down on both knees in front of the katana which rested upon the top of the knee-high bookshelf, with a lit candle burning dimly on each side. And after taking a bow and saying her prayer, she gingerly took the weapon from its dragon-crafted stand, along with a small green booklet from the shelf.

 _I think I'm finally ready to train for this new style,_ Hana thought to herself as she tucked the booklet away. "And if I can master this, a surprise attack on Lady Sakura will be a thing of the past."

* * *

 **Legends spoke of a legendary swordsman only known by the name Lyndis from the land of Caelin who wielded the sacred blade, the** _ **Mani Katti**_ **. She was also notoriously designated for the not only the mastery of the katana, but for also perfecting the art of Iaido and Iaijutsu. With her formidable talent combined with the power of the** _ **Mani Katti,**_ **Lyndis could strike with immense power and skill within almost an instant. It was a jutsu of the fast draw that would take even the most experienced swordsman several minutes to prepare.**

"Only one other person was able to perform this type Iaijutsu." Hana said aloud. "And he's already got his own hands full, so I'll be on my own on this one." She put the book away. _Phew, alright, first thing's first: I will need to be able to cut through solid stone before I can even think of moving up to the next level. And before I even do_ that, _I'll have to be able to cut through this first._

Standing before her was a rolled tatami mat; a common item that had been used for trainees when practicing their swings. However, this tatami mat was a special case. A creation of her own design, this mat consisted of denser, harder material along with almost three times the amount of tethers; making this practice dummy much, _much_ more difficult to cut through.

Hana's thoughts go back a couple months earlier as she remembered her conversation with Hayato.

"I don't understand, Hana," the young man had said as he closed the green booklet. "Out of all the other diviners that we have in Corrin's little personal army, why come to me for help? Orochi has had a lot more experience when it comes to divination, so why did you choose me?"

"Because from what I've heard," the samurai had answered, "You have the most linear control over spirits when it comes to the practice of the _Aikido,_ despite how young you are. Somebody with that kind of natural skill and potential is all the reason I need to ask advice from you."

Hayato cringed and threw his hands in the air. "AGH. For the love of-, why do people always just assume that I'm a child based on my appearance? _I'm twenty years old for gods' sakes!_ "

"Wait, you're _twenty_?!" Hana gaped. "But you don't even look like you could be any older than fifteen!"

His cheeks turned red. "Sp- speak for yourself! You look as though you couldn't be older than the age of sixteen!"

"Well then I've got news for you. I'm actually twenty-one years old. The same age as Corrin."  
The diviner raised his brows. "So, that means you're... you're older than I am?" Hayato had let out a heavy and hopeless sigh. "The cycle never ends, does it?" He shook his head. "L-lets just drop the subject now. In any case, I'll take what you said earlier as a complement. So in return, I will help you prepare for this new jutsu. But before we even get started, there are some rules and risks that you absolutely _must_ be aware of and take in accordingly."

Hana nodded. "Well, you're the sensei, so I'm all ears."

"Ok, first off, don't call me sensei. All I'm doing is helping out a friend, alright? Now listen, what you're trying to accomplish will require absolute precision and balance between the body and the spirit. Think of it as though a fragile object that is precious to you is encased inside a block of ice. To set it free from its incarceration, instead of slowly chipping away at different areas, what you're attempting to do is placing the pick at a strategic sweet spot on the ice and hitting it with a carefully power-controlled strike. If done correctly, the ice will break apart, leaving that precious object undamaged. But if your strike is too hard or the pick is not placed properly, the entire block as a whole will shatter to pieces.

"Now, you've already heard of the phrases that people say before loved ones enter a battle, 'ancestors give us strength,' correct?" She nodded. "The thing about this saying is that it's partially related to the practice called _Shamanism. Shamanism_ is the center of all the paranormal events that people are able to perform, such as the summoning of the animal spirits, which in turn allows you to tap into the forces of _Aikido_. But in order to learn the basics of this practice, the first step that you must take is endorsing a contract with an animal from the spirit world. Each animal has its own unique vibe and skills that you can tap into for a short period of time, or you can summon the spirit into its physical entity and use it for either offensive or defensive measures. For most, you can only form a pact with a single animal. When the contract is signed, they are given a scroll which contains the spirit that they can summon."

"So there are a few people that are able to forge a contract with more than one animal?" Hana had asked.

Hayato nodded, and smiled proudly. "That's right. I myself am one of those who can summon multiple spirits. However, having the ability to call upon these sprites does come at a price. Since these beings come from the spirit world, they do not feed off of your physical strength unless absolutely necessary. Take me as an example of it. I may be one of the least physically fit people in the army, but through meditation, I can strengthen my own spirit so that the ones I call upon can receive a plentiful amount of energy to feed on; thus strengthening the power that I can unleash.

"Your own spirit and body works together as one throughout every instant of your life. But no matter how physically strong you are, if the sprite you call on does not receive the energy you'd agreed to via contract, one way or another, it will get what it had been promised. And by that, I mean, it will begin to feed off of your very own life force. In other words, your life span shortens. So, now that you understand the tradeoff that comes with the power that you want to obtain, are you sure you want to go forward with this?"

The young samurai nodded without hesitation. "If this power helps further my goal to protect Lady Sakura, I will sign a thousand contracts to ensure her safety."

"Very well then," Hayato had said, "First I will you teach you the proper hand signs and commands in order to connect with the spirit world. Though I must tell you, you don't get to make the final decision on who or what you forge your contract with. Depending on what it is that you truly desire or need does heavily sway what animal is right for you. Once you've made a pact with that apparition, you need to practice the summoning as you strengthen your own spirit through meditation. And with enough practice, you will be able to summon them without having to use hand signs; which in normal circumstances takes several weeks or even a couple of months to master. But knowing you, you just might be able to do so in half that time." Hayato had then asked, "You said that Ryoma was the only other swordsman to master this type of jutsu, am I correct?"

"That's right."

"Interesting. So both people were able to strike with such power because they possessed a divine blade."

Hana frowned. "What are you getting at? You don't think I'll be able to pull it off?"

"I never said that. In fact, I was thinking the opposite."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is..." Hayato clarified, holding the book up, "If you can pull off this jutsu with just your guts and your willpower, not only will you be able to master it, but you could also turn it into something that you can call your very own signature Iaijutsu."

* * *

 _An Iaijustu of my very own,_ Hana thought with an optimistic smile. _That definitely has a nice ring to it._ _Now let's see how much further I have to go._ Lacing her fingers into the proper hand sign, she spoke out softly, " _Hebi no seishin."_ Snake spirit.

Hana's vision began to dim within the outer rim of her eyes, as though the light were failing to pass through the lens, and the target in front of her blurred. However, now with her lack of vision, her hearing became keener. She could now listen to the insects that scuttled across the ground beneath her, the toad that croaked from across the training field, and even hear Azama gasping in shock near the armory as Oboro scolded at him; undoubtedly using her petrifying expression as she did so.

The joints in her body became less constricted, and more nimble as her muscles tightened and the atmosphere suddenly felt cold.

Positioning herself into the proper stance, Hana gripped the hilt of her blade; concentrating on drawing out more power from her animal entity before she let it loose.

Hana drew her blade in an explosion of energy as she cut into the tatami mat. The air shrieked as it was torn apart, and shreds of the material went airborne as the sword sliced its way across. It all happened within a split second time frame, but to her, the katana only seemed to be moving just as fast as any normal soldier could manage.

Fatigue soon took over after unleashing her attack. Hana's vision remained slightly blurred from the exhaustion and her hearing downgraded back to its normal level. Her forehead dripped with sweat and gasped for air as her body began to lose its temporary strength. _I'd never expected to feel this tired after using the snake spirit's power just this once,_ she'd thought. _Hayato said that it fed from my spiritual energy, so I guess when I use this divination, this is what the aftermath is like when you force your body past what it's mentally capable of._ Once her vision had finally cleared up, Hana inspected the blow that the tatami mat had received.

The cut itself had managed to penetrate at least two inches into the material, a quarter of a ways from going completely through. Along the half-inch wide cut, the tethers had been completely severed and torn to bits with the strings protruding in the direction the katana had swiped through. Even a blow like this couldn't be done by a body-built soldier with an ax, but Hana was not satisfied.

 _I need to be able to cut completely through this with just one strike._ She took a breath. _But I won't be able to try again for a while now until my spiritual energy recharges. Ugh, the only part of training that I actually dislike..._

Then a voice spoke up, "Um... ahem, Hana?"

The young samurai didn't turn around to see who it was that stood behind her. Instead, she took her sword into both hands before spinning on her heels; swinging her sword around with her in an arc. But the attack was stopped as the person anticipated this and was able to quickly raise his weapon to defend himself.

"Aha!" Corrin proclaimed, and smiled. "Not quite as quick on your toes when you know what to expect from your enemies, am I correct?"

Hana sneered. "Hmph."

Faster than what Corrin could comprehend, she pulled her right leg back. Releasing her right hand from the katana, she then grabbed Corrin's wrist that held the Yato. Now with his sword hand immobilized, Hana then preceded to take a heavy step backwards while placing her left shin in front of Corrin's and brought her left hand onto his shoulder. He didn't even have enough time to cry out as his left shin was swept out from under him and fell face-first into the grass.

Hana, who was now on top of the silver-haired prince, continued to grip his wrist with one hand and pushed down on his back with the other as she held him in place. "Now, let's see here," she giggled, "How many different angles can we go to see how many times your shoulder pops before you finally admit defeat?"

"Ah come on, Hana," Corrin sputtered through the leaves, "You can't be really- OW! OK! OK! I GIVE! PLEASE, NO MORE!"

"Oh, boo." the brunette pouted. "You're no fun. I thought you royal males were tougher than this."

"Yeah, well," he gritted his teeth. "This royal male wouldn't much use on the battlefield if he had a broken sword arm. Ever stop to think about _that_?"

"Heehee. Then that would be the perfect opportunity for you to practice becoming ambidextrous."

" _And what's that supposed to mean!?_ " Corrin cried out desperately.

Hana scoffed. "Oh, relax, Lord Corrin. I'm just trying to blow off steam is all." She let go and stood as she watched the Norhian/Hoshidan prince spit blades of grass from his mouth.

"Ack, come on, Hana, I thought we had an understanding. I thought you'd said that you understood what I was trying to say a couple months ago. Did I say or do anything else to upset you since then?"

"Nope." She answered reluctantly. "I've just been having an itch to do that for a while now. If it were anyone else besides Lady Sakura, they'd probably get the same treatment as you did. I guess you were just unlucky."

"I'll say." Corrin sighed. "So, do you want to tell me what's on your mind?"

"What do you mean, 'what's on my mind?'" Hana frowned.

"See," the Yato's wielder pointed out. "There's that look again. Look, you have that same expression on your face the last time you'd attacked me with that wooden sword. To everyone else, it may just be another normal day of you going through hard training, but to me, it's as clear as day."

Her silence led to Corrin's conformation. "Hana, listen... I may not be the best with words, but believe me when I tell you that I really am worried about you. Not just as your duty as a retainer to Sakura, but for your own happiness as well."

The samurai's cheeks reddened. "Lord Corrin, I...!"

Corrin immediately doubled back at what he'd just said. "Not- not like that! Ah damn it, I did it again. God's, who knew trying to explain these kinds of things, would've been so difficult..."

"I... I understand what you meant, Lord Corrin." Hana muttered. "Sometimes your way of approach can be a bit... blunt, but I get what it is you're trying to say. There's no need for you to clarify this time."

"Hah," he breathed, "that's such a relief."

"However..." said Hana, "Since you were brave enough to tell me this in person, I'll make you a deal."

The prince asked skeptically, "Um, and what kind of deal is that?"

Hana sheathed her blade. "Soon I'll have to go train our newer recruits. And in case you've been watching me, I've spent too much of my energy on my personal training, so I'd like to have an extra pair of hands to help move things along. If you do this for me, I might share a little of 'what's on my mind.'"

Corrin scratched his head nervously. "Why do I feel like there's going to be a catch to this..."

"So is that a deal?" She held out her hand.

The young man seamed hesitant for a moment before letting out a reluctant sigh. "Alright then." He shook it. "Deal."

 **Attained Support Level C+**

* * *

 **Project Requested By: Mzr90**

 **Hey guys, I understand there wasn't much that happened between these two in this chapter; the chapter was getting lengthy but there's still just so much more to add and build up on. So I hope to make up for it in the next support level and I hope you enjoyed it.**


	4. AzamaXOrochi C-plus

Azama X Orochi (&Hinoka)

C+

 _6 Years Earlier_

Azama had always relished the peace and quite during his time of scaling mountains. Especially when high above sea level, nature itself had often heeded to this preference with just a chirp here and there, along with the calming sound of the creek flowing through the great forest-covered rocks. But on this particular day, however, it was anything but peaceful.

Half the day had been wasted trying to find an ideal spot to meditate. Each and every time that he was about to settle in, Azama would find himself too close to a mosquitoes nest or a beehive, getting urinated on by a toad which sat on the branch of a tree he sat under, or on one occasion, accidentally trespassing onto a grizzly's territory which held a plentiful amount of berry bushes. As each hour passed by, the young monk would slowly make his up higher towards the peak of the mountain. And by the time he'd finally reached it, the sun had already reached past its peak as it began to descend back towards the horizon; approximately two hours past noon.

To the east, the shining kingdom of Hoshido reflected the great star's golden light over its vast open fields, farmland and villages that surrounded its capital many, many miles beyond. At the south, not near as far from the mountain that Azama stood upon, was the Bottomless Canyon. With much more rocks and less trees, the everlasting, rainless thunderclouds continued to loom over its host as lightning struck throughout the sky. And finally, to the west, with forests thicker than Azama had ever seen and clouds darker than the ones that occupied the Canyon, was the Kingdom of Norh. It was the first time that the monk has had an actual clear view over the entire continent. And yet, even at this height, it was impossible to see what was past the horizon and beyond Hoshido's northern coast.

With the exception of the slightly strong winds due to the high elevation, Azama had decided it was the perfect place for meditation, now that the currents will protect him from any insects and no animals were present. Sighing in relief, he laid his staff down at his side, sat down into a lotus position on the mountain's flat-topped peak, and closed his eyes.

* * *

"Come on, girl! You and I have been through worse than this!" Hinoka yelled over the raging winds as she struggled to stabilize her pegasi. "Once we're over that mountain, it's tailwind from here on out! Just a little further!"

Even though the eldest Hoshidan princess had managed to get her steed back under control, it was already difficult enough to keep herself from being blown off the saddle from the currents alone. And attempting to keep her balance while also guiding the pegasi through the turbulence had proven to be the ultimate challenge for Hinoka.

"That's it! Come on!" She encouraged her partner. "Five years of training together, and you are _not_ going to fight with me on this one!" For those next several brutal seconds, the pegasi huffed and let out a high-pitched whinny as it gave out one last powerful flap and cleared the top of the mountain by thirty meters. "Alright!" Hinoka through a fist in the air. "That's my girl! We're almost home fre-."

Her victory speech was cut short as a vigorously strong gust of wind struck at them from the right flank without warning. Hinoka, who's right hand had been taken off the horn of the saddle, was nearly thrown off of her pegasi as it rotated by about twenty degrees in midair. She was able to keep herself from sliding off its back by hooking her feet tightly around the mount's torso. However, she made the mistake of using the reins as support and pulled down on hit; causing it to shriek as it spiraled out of control.

 _Oh gods, no!_ Hinoka wanted to scream, but the air in her lungs had been sucked out by pure petrification as both she and her pegasi plummeted into the trees.

* * *

If Azama hadn't heard the flying horse's bellow over the raging winds, he wouldn't have been so rudely awakened from his meditation and looked up to see it and its red-headed rider glide almost right over him. Grunting in aggravation, he watched as the hotshot victoriously raised her fist into the air; only for it to short-lived as her mount suddenly went out of control and almost fall to her eminent death. It was at that very moment when the monk's expression quickly changed from annoyed to an intrigued, enthralling manner.

"Oh," He said aloud. There was no hint a real concern in his voice when he'd spoken, and continued to watch as the rider intensively yanked back on the reins and caused the pegasi to go out of control. And the last thing he saw before watching them disappear into the trees was the redhead wrapping her arms around the mount's neck for dear life as they both plunged into the woods.

For a short moment, Azama simply remained in his meditating position as he processed everything that had just happened in the short amount of time. Did someone actually have the audacity to attempt flying over the northern mountains? This part of the land was well known for its superior wind turbulence. The trails cutting through them were way too rocky and narrow for caravans to travel on, making it impossible for full-fledged armies to march through; therefore only very few people make the journey through the mountains when traveling between both Norh and Hoshido.

If anything, even if the fool survived, she probably deserved to fall to her death. Although, it would be a good idea to bury the bodies and give them a proper funeral like any monk should, (according to the stooges back at the shrine) but also to keep any unwanted guests from becoming attracted to the smell of rotting corpses.

* * *

After Azama had found both the pegasi and its rider, he was actually quite surprised not by the fact that they had survived the crash, but because the two were even still conscious. From behind a tree a short distance away, he could see that the girl was around his age; about sixteen, maybe seventeen. Her short red hair wasn't that of a typical redhead, but rather _literally_ a tomato color red. And judging from the outfit and armor that she wore, it was clear that this maiden was a Sky Knight of the Hoshidan Army.

The steed's injuries didn't seem very serious as it whinnied in pain and struggled back onto its feet. Its right wing was tucked tightly to its side, and blood coated the snow white hair on its front left leg.

The rider however, was a different story.

She lied almost completely motionless on her back; her chest rising and falling rapidly as her amber-red eyes darted in random direction as though she'd lost control over them. The only noticeable injury that Azama could see was the back of her head becoming soaked into an even darker shade of red. And upon seeing this, he recognized the grave situation that she was now in. The girl was lucky enough to survive the fall, but if she didn't receive any medical attention soon, that luck will be nothing more than a delay of the inevitable.

From where she lied, Hinoka immediately noticed the boy advancing towards her after leaving his hiding spot. Her vision was blurry, she felt nauseous, and the pain in her head felt as though something were trying to claw the skin off its skull; making it almost impossible to get a clear conscious of what was going on around her. However, the only thing that caught her full attention was what the boy held in his hand.

Panic took over and she began willing her body to move frantically; her arms scouring over the ground, trying to find the _naginata_ thatshe'd lost in the crash. It didn't make things much easier either as Hinoka's legs refused to cooperate and tried rolling onto her stomach to crawl away.

But Azama quickly moved in to stop the fool of a Sky Knight from causing anymore damage to herself. He set his staff aside, got down on both knees and placed both hands on the young woman's shoulders to keep her from rolling over. Hinoka responded by thrashing her arms, babbling out incomprehensible words and weakly attempting to shake off her "assailant."

The monk sighed cynically. "Truthfully," he began to say, "I never expect anything as much of a, 'thank you,' or any other type of gratitude for helping a total stranger, but if you're that persistent on hastening your death, I'm more than willing to oblige." Even though she couldn't hear him clearly, after another moment of struggling, Hinoka realized that the boy was making no attempts to end her life and became still. Through her blurred vision, she gazed helplessly back up at Azama, who couldn't help but smile tediously.

He suddenly realized, despite the circumstances, that this was the most entertainment that Azama had had in quite some time. Watching the maiden's cute little face shrivel in fear as she fought desperately to stay alive, it was almost saddening really, for someone this young having a 50/50 chance of survival. But that _was_ what he was there for, wasn't it? The monk had long since accepted the eminent fate of death, and he found it rather pointless to prolong one's suffering so that they can remain in the world for a few more painful minutes. Pointless pain, in fact.

In her final moment of consciousness, Hinoka raised a trembling and placed it on Azama's shoulder. With as much self-control as she could muster, she stuttered the words, "save him... please," before her eyes rolled back, her body slacked, and blacked out.

Azama was both surprised and bewildered by what the Sky Night had just said. _Save him?_ He thought. _Did she mean the pegasi?_ The monk inspected the mount more closely. _Nope, definitely a female._ Was this girl delusional?

He shook his head. It hardly mattered. It was only a short matter of time before the fool started to bleed internally, if it hadn't begun already, and went straight to work.

 **I-I-I-I-I**

There were two things that Hinoka immediately noticed upon waking up: one, her head still hurt. A _lot_. Two, her body felt cold on one side, and warm on the other. And upon opening her eyes, she found herself lying down on a bed mat and staring up at the star-splatted night sky.

To her right was a boy about her own age sitting on a log in front of a campfire with his back facing her. He had brown, short spiked hair, which had been held in place by a headband, and wore black samue clothing. On her left side, her pegasi was lying right next to her and appeared to be asleep. But as though it were sensing its master's awakening, it opened its eyes, snorted, and nudged her cheek with its snout in an exercised manner.

With a weak smile, she scratched her partner's neck and said timorously, "Hey, girl. Are you all right?"

The pegasi answered with short, soft whinny as if to say, "I'm good, how about you?"

Something else then catches her attention and Hinoka's gaze falls to her mount's front left leg, whose hair had been stained red with blood with a bandage wrapped around its knee. Guilt and dread came pouring in like water over a dam as the Hoshidan princess contemplated over everything that had happened.

"Ah, so the Fool finally awakes." The boy said apathetically, not looking back at his patient. "You are truly a special one indeed. Having the guts to fly across the northern mountains and actually survive a crash landing such as that? Perhaps you should take up gambling, since you seem to possess more luck rather than wits."

"Huh?" Hinoka attempted to sit up, only to suddenly feel nauseous again and causing the pain in her head to increase; forcing her to lie back down. She placed a hand on where the source of the pain was coming from and found out that nearly half of her head had been wrapped in bandages. "Wha-...?"

Azama chuckled. "That was quite the nasty fall, too. I would highly advise refraining to as little movement as possible; not with that concussion of yours."

" _Concussion?!_ " The Sky Knight said in hysteria.

"Mhmm," he said, "Nothing too serious as of right now, though I will admit I was expecting a fool such as yourself would be out of it for just a little while longer. Ah well, the sooner the merrier for the both of us." With a tin cup in his hand, the monk retrieved the small kettle hanging over the fire and poured what looked be dirt-brown liquid. After filling the cup three-quarters full, he pulls out a silver flask and added in a small pinch of clear fluid.

"What is your name?" Hinoka asked him.

"You may call me Azama." He answered with a flat tone and went silent.

"Don't you want to ask what my name is?"

He shrugged. "I couldn't care less who you are. A commoner, a noble, advisor, or even Royal Blood, it's all the same. Each person in this world has gained the privilege to become subconscious of their very existence. And it's only natural that each and every one of them, who are as much as animals as all other living creatures, have that instinct to do whatever it takes to live a full lifelong experience. I feel that it is only my duty to ensure this outcome with as many people as possible since now that I have no quarrel with death. That is my place, after all."

Once he had finished mixing the potion together, Azama hands the cup out back to Hinoka without so much as turning his body.

"Drink up now," Azama told her like a parent talking to a small child. "This will have you up and moving again in no time. Although I warn you, you're taste buds will not have the most exciting taste of your life, which is why I've added some of my own ingredients to dumb it down a tad."

Hinoka had little problem with accepting the boy's medicine. Slowly and carefully, she propped herself on one elbow as she gingerly took the cup into her other hand. "Thank you. If there's anything I can repay you with, I can-."

"Thanks, but no thanks." He interrupted reputably. "I seek no reparations of any sort from you. Everybody has their share of hardships, and you should never make a promise that you're not sure you can even keep."

"But money isn't a problem," She urged, "I could at least bring you back some-."

"Are there any _other_ bothersome questions that you'd like to trouble me with?"

Hinoka pursed her lips. "I can see from your clothes that you're a monk of the Shinto Shrine," she inferred, "Is that correct?"

Azama slapped his knee. "Excellent detective skills, my fair maiden!" He said sarcastically, "Were there of other clues that led you to that conclusion? If my robes have given me away, why couldn't you say it without absolute certainty?"

The eldest princess scowled. _Obnoxious, sarcastic, sharp-tongued, and overall rude._ She thought, _although, I am at his mercy, so I'll just have to play along._ "I thought Shinto monks were supposed to be... oh, you know, _bald-headed?_ "

"Now, now, there's no need for such a blunt demeanor. In truth, yes, that's how it's usually managed back at the shrine. But we're not _at_ the shrine now, are we not? Now hush up and drink your tea."

She reluctantly obeyed and took a large sip of the tea, which was a mistake, not knowing how bad it was going to taste and nearly spat it out. But with shear willpower, she forced it down. "Ugh, I think my stomach is going to war with this stuff."

"Delightful, isn't it?" Azama asked rhetorically.

Hinoka hulked downed another sip. "So you don't agree with how things are run there?" She asked. "That's why you're all the way out here? What was the big deal?"

The monk scratched his chin. "Maybe I was either forced to live in isolation, or that I just prefer the solitude. Or perhaps _maybe,_ it might have something to do with both? Either way, that hardly matters."

"You're not making much sense."

Clapping his hands together, Azama said, "Have you ever heard phrase of how the fools learn nothing from the wise, but the wise learns from the fools?" He didn't wait for a response. "What defines a fool? What defines a wise? Is it by _what_ that person experiences? Or could it be from _how_ they experience it? Now I ask you this: Why can't the Fool learn from the Wise?"

Hinoka answered, "Because the Fool refuses to listen to the Wise."

"Exactly!"

"So what are you trying to say?" She asked sharply, "That I'm a fool and I don't have the right to have honest conversation-?"

"Nonononono," He interrupted, "I have said no such indication."

"You've called me a fool twice, Azama." She countered.

"Right, but as a _special_ kind of fool. And already, you have already proven to me that you are far from one. Are you curious why? Of course you are! Now, allow me to explain.

"There are very few, if any at all, that dare to challenge the skies of the northern mountains. The only logical reason for a gutsy flier to attempt something like that would be in dire situations. But even if the situation did call for such actions, even then, it is an idiotic plan. Though you've had your reasons, even if you were trying to 'save him', he wouldn't be better off with you and your pegasi's corpses rotting on a mountain." He sighed. "A real Fool wouldn't understand how futile it is to single-handedly bring home their long lost sibling from the captivity of Nohr."

The Sky Night scoffed. "So you _do_ know who I am."

"It wasn't hard to figure out," he shrugged, "Word travels fast of how the infamous eldest princess of Hoshido made a reputation of disappearing from the public and Capital's eye. And only someone who's matched your level of recklessness would attempt to fly over this terrain." shaking his head, he said, "You must give up on this pointless expedition. It's like the gods' divine intervention that you were able to make it this far on a pegasi alone; much less still be breathing."

She clenched her fists. "You're saying that I should abandon my family to the likes of the mad King of Nohr?"

"As heartless as this will sound, yes, that's exactly what I'm saying."

Hinoka was at a lost for words. "You- how could you possibly say that without one shred of-."

"Take a look at yourself, Lady Hinoka." Azama snapped. "And your pegasi. Your poor judgment as its rider is what landed yourself here to begin with. What good would it do for your siblings to lose a sister because her overconfidence and pride is what led her to an avertible demise?"

Her mount neighed as though it were agreeing with the monk. "Gee, thanks partner." She muttered.

"And the biggest concern of all," he continued, "You wake up to find a complete stranger, who's offered you medicine and treatment for your wounds, and even near death, you've chosen the only path available that either lets you stay among the living, or simply delay yourself to a painful, undignified death."

"Waitm, so you're saying that if you were- or _are-_ an enemy," Hinoka clarified, "You would only be offering me help to earn my trust for an even bigger gain in the long run."

"My, my, you've got more wits than I originally gave you credit for." He laughed. "Yes, that is exactly what I'm getting at. But lucky for you, I am no enemy. But that doesn't mean I can't have my own share of fun."

Hinoka had just finished her cup as she froze and asked skeptically, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, now you see," Azama told her, "You were smart to accept the only brew of tea for miles, because it was either that, or die in a coma. And since you were almost absolutely willing to drink the only thing that keeps you alive, I couldn't resist but add in a little bit of nature's excrement to see the look on your pretty, horrified face."

The Hoshidan princess gawked at the monk with shear rage. "You cut-throat little snake-! When I get out of this bed, I will-!" She cut herself off as her vision suddenly began to dim and her body felt heavy again.

"And one last thing," he mentioned. "What I mixed in there was a fast-acting sleeping potion so that you don't get up when you're not supposed to; just as a safety precaution given how reckless you've proven to be." Hinoka was on the verge of unconsciousness when she heard the monk stood and finish, "It was a great honor to meet you, Princess Hinoka. Although when you awaken, I will not be able to stop you, but I pray that you make the smart choice for once in your life for your own sake. And I have a feeling that one day, the gods will forge a path for both of us to meet again. Until then, farewell."

 **I-I-I-I-I**

"Azama?" A woman's voice spoke up. Remaining absolutely still, Azama pretended as though he'd heard nothing and continued to concentrate on his meditation. Orochi, who stood over the monk with a hand on her hip, repeated, "Azama."

He let out a mental sigh. Of course it had to be one of Mikoto's crackpot retainers. Ever since he'd done her the favor of keeping the rats away, she'd been following him around nonstop like a homeless dog chasing the last hand that had fed it. Not that it was a bad feat, since he actually found it quite entertaining to watch her dish out her rather convoluted fortunetelling and see the looks on that individual who'd thought it was a bad omen. But still, he found it odd that even for someone who he'd given enough grief to would still keep pressing into his business; knowing full-well of the biting remarks they'd receive back. (However, the royal siblings were the only exception)

As for Orochi, who took this to a whole other ballgame, said once more, "I know you can hear me, Azama, and you know I'm not going to just walk away."

Knowing that neither ignoring or deriding her was going to have much effect, Azama scoffed, "Doesn't this army require your services elsewhere rather than pestering a poor, harmless monk? Surely you understand that a man needs his peace and tranquility."

The diviner scowled but didn't budge. "'Harmless' isn't a word I'd use to describe your character." She puffed her cheeks. "And what do you think you're doing meditating all the way out here almost past our patrol perimeter? If an enemy were to advance on our camp, you would most likely be their first target."

Azama didn't bother hiding the truth. "It is simply so that there's less of a chance of being interrupted.'' he tilted head up towards her. "Also, if you'd taken the opportunity to study the terrain, you would know that the only way our enemies could launch a full-out assault is from the trail to the north-." He pointed in front of him past Orochi, "-Where the bridge crosses over the river; where its current are too strong and deep for even horses to wade through. Adding to that, with the mountains to the west, open fields to the east, and the coast at the south, that is the only reasonable option for a stealth approach."

Orochi's expression softened as she wrapped a string of hair in her finger. "How interesting," she said admirably, taking a seat on the grass in front of him. "All of those years spent living in the mountains, and you've grown quite accustomed to reading the landscapes. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but there definitely is more to you than you let everyone on to be."

"Everyone has a part in them that many people don't see," said the monk, twirling his healing rod in one hand, "Only as for me, I willing choose to hide what to hide whether they are good or bad. If you give an adversary even the slightest bit of information for them to work with, they will figure out how to turn your greatest strength into your worst weakness."

"And yet, you had absolutely no problem sharing that small bit of information with me." She narrowed her eyes, "Do you not think of me as a potential threat who might turn on their comrades, or is this another one your weaselly schemes?"

That question wasn't a hard one to answer. "I believe in you with every ounce of my trust," Azama said, "And not because you've proven time and time again on the battlefield, or when everything goes down the drain pipe, but because, simply put, I _know you_ , Orochi. As bumbling as you may be with your fortunes, even as your family had been mocked, you've demonstrated incontestable loyalty to Lady Mikoto and her children. I know that there's nothing in your heart that would lead you to commit such an act."

The spirit summoner was dumbfounded. "You really have changed, didn't you Azama?"

"I beg your pardon?" He responded curiously.

"Don't pretend you don't know it," she giggle, "I remember when Lady Hinoka had first brought you to the capital and requested that you were to become her retainer. You were quite the boorish one too, in terms of your social skills towards everyone with the exception of the Siblings and Lady Mikoto. How Saizo restrained himself from slitting your throat when you slept at night, that's beyond me. But I especially remember how Yukimaru wanted to tear his own hair out when Hinoka let you stick around."

Azama relished at that memory. "Ah, yes, that old coot of a tactician. Quite the entertainment he turned out to be."

"Hmph. And which also led to Lady Mikoto requesting to Hinoka that you'd be trained like a house dog if you were to become her retainer."

The young man grimaced. "Now that's actually pushing it, wouldn't you say?"

"Oh, not at all!" Orochi laughed. "I was confident that your big ego would get the best of you and you'd be back to hiking mountains before the week's end."

"Well then, I'm sorry I disappointed you." Azama snapped, his good mood now quickly dissolving.

"Oh, cheer up, Azama," she told him, smiling, "To this current day, it all worked out! Now you're taking part in role that helps determine the future of Hoshido! What is there to sulk about?"

His silence was the only thing to respond with, mainly due to fact that he had nothing more to say. But Orochi, seeing how low this conversation had suddenly gotten, asked lightly, "Why did you ask me about my biggest weakness?"

The monk perked up. "I'm sorry?"

"My fear of rats." She elaborated, "When you've had to chance to exploit it and turn my whole world upside down, why did you decide to help me instead?" Before he could answer she added, "If you trust me completely, then you should have no problem sharing at least one little secret with me. Is that too much to ask?"

 _What is_ with _this woman_? Azama thought. He knew it was a mistake to continue further interaction after that little staring and insult "contest," and could have avoided this whole predicament entirely. He'd be alone, quite, and undisturbed in his meditation without having someone with the likes of her constantly banging at his door.

But in truth, even he didn't fully understand why he did it to begin with.

So instead, he answered flatly, "I just decided that it would be no fun for the cat to play with the mouse as it is already backed into a corner with nowhere to go."

That was the wrong answer.

Orochi's nosed flared. "So that's all I am to you? A jester for your comedic stage? Another plaything that you can poke at with a stick to see what it's going to do?" She bolted to her feet. "Well, congratulations! You pulled on the right strings, and you've got your reactions! Are you happy now?"

Confused, Azama also stood. "I hardly see why you're taking this in such a negative direction, but how is it that-."

He didn't even get a chance to finish.

"Obnoxious, rude, and above all else, _insensitive_." She almost yelled. "You can pretend to be as fatheaded as you want; I can still see right through it!" Azama could've sworn Orochi was trying her best not to tear up and looked as though she was getting ready to slap him. "You idiot-," Her voice deteriorated, "You big, fat, ignorant fool of a..."

She stopped short and her body began to sway. Was Orochi hyperventilating? Azama wasn't sure. She was upset, that much was certain. However, she wasn't breathing hard, but her face _was_ radiating heat, which was not normal _at all._

"Orochi?" He asked with legitimate concern right as her knees buckled and began to topple back, but managed to rush and catch her before she hit the ground. "Orochi?" He repeated.

Eyes rolled behind her head, the diviner made no reply.

 **Attained Support Level C+**

* * *

 **Project Requested By: equach**

 **I had to completely scrap my first draft of this pairing simply because I didn't like what it was leading up to, which is why it took longer than I'd wanted to publish and spent 3 consecutive days binge writing this latest work. So I hope you've enjoyed it!**


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